3 weeks into SS ownership it is time to post some pictures and my view on owning the car.
It is difficult to know where to start but I am going to start with the "Why?". Moving away from a (near) mainstream car to something handbuilt by "men in sheds" was never going to be easy. You get used to hushed cruising at dizzying speeds; to keyless entry; thickly padded seats; and climate control. But I craved something a little more animalistic - something that sounded as good as it drove. Something that was closer in feel to my race-car - and yet still have the capablity to cover big distances with some level of comfort and decent boot space. Picking the Morgan should have been easy - but it took 6 months of indecision and attempts to inject what I needed into the Alpina before I finally took the plunge.
The issues came thick and fast - the split window rubber; the knocking exhaust; and now half a dozen of outstanding issues the dealer/service will need to attend to. None of which are major, and none of which detract from the last few weeks.
So what about the car? It is rather special!! There is no other way of describing it. At first you think the engine takes centre stage - it is meaty, aggressive and easy to provoke. It doesn't have 370 horses under the bonnet - but 370 Brian Blesseds - all of them irritable - and all of them easy to provoke. "I am a Morgan - hear me roar". The thing is, once you have dialed into the deep bass rumble as your cruise you realise that sounds begin to balance out - some tyre noise (I will change from Avons when required); a little wind noise (rather than a lot at the start); and the stereo providing adequate relief - although it has to be cranked up reasonably loud.
Away from the motorways the engine plays second fiddle to the chassis - it really is very good indeed. The rose jointed suspension might crack and creak at parking speeds but out on the road it is work of genius. Yes it will crash and bang over the worst of surfaces - but dial in a bit (or a lot) of speed and it will ride bumps very impressively - and at the same time corner flat, very flat, and carry a stupid amount of speed at the apex. The steering is very quick but it isn't writing cheques the chassis can't cash and it forms an integral part of how the car drives.
Back roads are taken at incredible speeds - between the corners the horde of Brians just gets on hurling you down the road with complete disregard to your starting speed, the engine speed and the gear you are in.
The thing is though, Morgans magical alliance of thumping great power and lightweight rigid engineering, gives another real world benefit - fuel economy. Lower speed cruising (75-80mph) returned 32.5mpg; higher speed (85-90mph) 29.5mpg; with an overall average to date of 29mpg - is enormously impressive. If only fueling it was so easy!!!!
Inside the car is "snug" - my long legs require a little coaxing into place and my hips are tight against the belt buckle. Saturday's 6.75 hour stint was probably 0.75 too long - although we managed longer on the way over but split by a 90 minute ferry journey. The boot space is epic!!
So finally, what about the "Theatre". Quite simply there is no other car on the road like it. It doesn't matter whether the person who sees it knows nothing about cars; is a 4 year child with a handful of sweets; a retired lady; a group of EMOs with their headphones on; or a van full of road workers. The car is adhored; loved; admired; drooled over. OK I made the last one up.
Step away from the car and walk back a little later and it will be surrounded by people!!
It has been a manic couple of weeks - with some intense driving - distances that many SS owners will only do in a year - but it has been fantastic. The car is hopeless when you try to measure it objectively. But when measured subjectively - my Supersports and its collection of Brians and absolutely no rivals!!
